Dear Independent Colleagues

You are cordially invited to a National Meeting of the Independent Legal Practitioners of

the Law Society of South Africa (LSSA)…

In terms of the LSSA Constitution there are three constituents being, the Black Lawyers

Association (BLA), the National Association of Democratic Lawyers (NADEL) and the

independent lawyers.

The Independent Constituent is currently defined as all those attorneys who are not

affiliated to the Black Lawyers Association (BLA) and National Association of Democratic

Lawyers (NADEL).

The Independent leadership has identified a need for wider and more inclusive

consultation and would appreciate if more independent attorneys could play a greater

active role in the interests of the profession.

Please indicate your willingness to engage and join with us by registering for our National

Meeting to be held on 29 July 2025 at 16:00.

You can register for the meeting on our Independents’ web based app which can be

downloaded at https://ialpsa.appimize.app and added to your device home screen. It

has tested as a very easy platform to use.

To ensure we do not breach the LSSA constitution constituent input, you are required to

register on the App and confirm your independence so that we can include you in future

communications and relevant meetings.

We look forward to engaging with you so that we can be enhance voice in the profession

via the LSSA.

08 July 2025

Notice to Legal Practitioners

Update on the Process for conferment of Senior Attorney and Senior Counsel Honours

On 13 March 2024, the erstwhile Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development published the Uniform Guidelines for the

conferral of Senior Attorney and Senior Counsel honours on eligible legal practitioners.

The Uniform Guidelines make provision for the LPC National Council to appoint a committee to consider and process

nominations of candidates to be conferred senior honours. The preamble to the Uniform Guidelines sets out the purpose of

the Guidelines which the committee is expected to achieve in accordance with the prescribed procedure.

The Committee is to be constituted by seven (7) members, tasked with the function to consider and process nominations of

candidates for the conferral of Senior Attorney and Senior Counsel honours. In their current form, the Guidelines require the

Committee to be comprised of “two practising attorneys, Senior Attorneys, who are not members of the Council, designated

by the Council after consulting the attorneys' profession”, two practising advocates, who are Senior Counsel and who are not

members of the Council, designated by the Council following consultation with the advocates' profession, and two fit and proper

persons, who are not legal practitioners, also designated by the Council after consultation with community-based organisations

or non-governmental organisations on community legal affairs.

As there are currently no attorneys with the designation “senior attorney”, the Uniform Guidelines are being amended to

address this issue. The Council has engaged the current Minister, and she is attending to the matter. Upon the necessary

amendment being published, and after consultation with the legal profession, the Council will constitute the Committee.

The Council is aware of delays already occasioned by this process, and we endeavour to keep legal practitioners abreast of

all developments by issuing notices as and when it is necessary.

Legal practitioners are reminded that whilst every interested person, save for an organ of state or government entity, is entitled

to nominate a candidate for senior honours, it is only the committee that may make a recommendation for the conferral of such

honours.

All relevant information for the submission of nominations will be communicated to legal practitioners in due course.

Kind Regards

PULE SELEKA SC

Chairperson: Legal Practice Council